It All Hinges On One's Perception

I already mentioned in one of my blogs that last week was a very different week for me. It seems as though every year as we approach the "Holiday Season" people become more reflective and as a result, I spend a lot of time either dealing with people in crisis or talking with people who are doing some soul searching, or those simply needed a word of advice. Well, that time of year is already in full swing, and last week I accomplished not one thing that I intended to accomplish as time would not permit. I'm not complaining, it's just the way it is. At any rate, yesterday I had a really funny encounter with someone that gave me the thought for today's blog. 


It so happens that I had an appointment to meet someone to talk at Innkeeper's Coffee yesterday, but they did not show up. I went ahead and ordered some spaghetti and a pot of tea and used the time to do some work on next week's sermon. There were a couple of young men from the college sitting near me and I could not help but notice that they kept turning to look at me, and I could overhear them at times. I heard one of them say, "I'm not going to ask him,  you ask him!"  A minute or so later, I looked over at them and I said, "It's ok, is there something you wanted to ask?" They both looked like deer caught in the headlights of a car with this look of "Oh my god!" on their faces. I again told them it was ok, and one of them asked, "are you that preacher that was in the paper a few weeks ago?"  I told them that I was, thinking that was it, until one of them asked, "Dude, what was up last week? You were here all day man!" I had to laugh. The other guy said, "We've been trying to figure out what you were doing and we have a list of ideas."  Now I'm thinking, these guys are just needing something to do if they have spent the time discussing a guy that they don't know, trying to figure out who he is and what he is doing.  I asked them how they knew I'd been there all day, unless they'd been there all day. They looked at each other and cracked up, and one said, "I never thought of that!" They then began to explain how that one of them had been there earlier in the day and had seen me, and that the two of them had come in together at lunch time to study and the one had commented to the other that I had been there earlier, but that I had been with someone else. They said that what really caught their attention was that they saw one woman leave and that I started to leave, but came back in and just a few minutes later, another woman came in and sat with me. They said that they had gone to class and came back afterward and that they saw me, still there, talking with yet another person... and that again, they saw me just before they left with still another person. 


Now here is where this story takes on life.
They had begun discussing what I might be doing, sitting there talking to so many people, and they decided to come up with a list. I wish I had thought to get a copy of the list, because they had almost an entire notebook size piece of paper filled with ideas of who I was and what I was doing.  One of the funniest ones that I recall was that they had decided that I was an undercover cop, and that I was talking to snitches. They had also come up with the idea that I might be someone who was moving a business to town and I was interviewing prospective employees. One suggested that I was hiding out from my wife.  One that I really thought was funny, as to how far they would have to had to have thought this over was that they thought I might be a movie scout, looking for local people to act in a movie.  One of them told me that they had actually asked another customer if they knew who I was, and they told him that they thought I was a pastor and that they were pretty sure they'd seen me in the newspaper, but that they were not sure. They had dismissed that notion, thinking that I did not look like a preacher.  (I have always wondered, just what does a preacher look like?)


After these two shared some of their ideas, one said, "I just did not want to believe you were a preacher. That just did not make sense."  I asked him why that did not make sense, and he said, "Why would all of these people want to talk with you?" He went on to say that he just could not figure out why anyone one would spend 2 hours talking with a preacher." I asked him if what it felt like to be talking to me right then, and he said, "I guess you're ok" and again they laughed.  We talked for a few more minutes and then I finished my lunch and left.  But I've been thinking about that conversation ever since. I started thinking about how perspective slants our thinking, understanding and world view.


Honestly, I had wondered what others must have thought when I spent more than 6 hours in Innkeepers. I kept waiting for Mike or Johan to come tell me that they were going to charge me rent for office space. In one respect, I was angry that my entire day was spent in Innkeepers.  On the other hand, I felt very good that I had been able to help some people, and had some really good conversation with others. So, I knew the day was not wasted, yet I was frustrated that my plans for the day had flown out the window as my phone had kept ringing... people asking if I could talk.  My own perception teetered from moment to moment from successful day to wasted day.  To these young men... there are several things I observe. Number one, they have a warped view of who and what a preacher is, and it has caused them to steer clear of anyone in the ministry. The other, is that they failed to see that for almost a week, their focus in life had been on "who was the mystery man?" and they did not see how that they let something like this consume their time and energy.  Kind of reminds me on how often people are so consumed with their own judgment of others that they fail to see their own faults, don't you think?
Since that conversation yesterday, my mind keeps wandering back and wondering how many other people may have observed my "day at Innkeeper's" and formed their own opinions.  I don't know, but I'd venture to guess that someone most likely observed and formed the opinion that I was a lazy preacher, wasting time doing nothing. Maybe someone else saw me talking with one of the women and came to the conclusion that there was an affair going on. (Come on, you know how people think.)  


My point is, that different people will always come up with differing conclusions and opinions, based on their perception and their own thinking.  There is a lot to think about in that thought. How many times in life are we absolutely certain about something that we have seen or heard, and we pass judgment based on that perception... and chances are, we are far from the truth, and often times, the truth is staring us in the face, and we refuse to accept it, because "it does not fit" our thinking or understanding... just as these young men were told that I was a pastor... but they did not want to accept that idea.
How many times has our perception caused us to form an opinion, or make a judgment, that is just false?  
Just thinking out loud here.

Cry Out to God!

In Isaiah 38: 1-3 in the Message, we read: "At that time, Hezekiah got sick. He was about to die. The prophet Isaiah son of Amoz visited him and said, "God says, 'Prepare your affairs and your family. This is it: You're going to die. You're not going to get well.'"  Hezekiah turned away from Isaiah and, facing the wall, prayed to God: "God, please, I beg you: Remember how I've lived my life. I've lived faithfully in your presence, lived out of a heart that was totally yours. You've seen how I've lived, the good that I have done." And Hezekiah wept as he prayed—painful tears."

This is one of those passages that I have preached from countless times, and have approached the topic from various vantage points. There is much in this story to help us. But today, I'm thinking of it and I am encouraged as I think about it this way...  In this passage we see a preacher, a man of God who goes to the King and tells him that he was going to die.  That in itself is something... that a preacher would be bold enough to approach the King with such a word.  But the part that really encourages me is this... The King chose to not accept that report, and to turn to God and cry out! Oh, that our leaders... our President, would cry out to God! If it could happen in this Bible passage, it could happen now, in our time... with our President, with our Congress men and women and with our Senators. Lord, revive thy works in our time!

But this passage is not just for kings and Presidents and national leaders, it's for us... the everyday folks... you and me. Take a page from this story and no matter who tells you ANYTHING... remember, God has the final say so! When Hezekiah cried out to God, those painful tears and the bitter weeping moved God and and God changed his mind and told Isaiah to "tell Hezekiah he will live."  Remember, it's not over until God says it's over, and your prayers and tears are powerful. God is not immune to your tears and He is not blind to your hurt and pain. God cares about you and he considers our hearts cry.  We read in Psalm 56:8  that He keeps our tears in bottles. I don't know exactly how it works, but I kind of picture a room full of jars, vases and bottels--a collection of our tears that the Father has collected, and He knows when each tear fell and why. 

Got some issues... some problems... need God to move? I double dog dare you to go ahead and give it a try... cry out to God!  If you've been given a bad bad report... from a doctor, a lawyer, an employer... cry out to God!  When the situation gets to much for you to bear and you feel you can't take any more... cry out to God! When you are filled with dispair, anger, bitterness, hopelessness, hurt, pain... cry out to God!  
Go on and tell Him how you feel, and He will listen and move on your behalf. It may not be today... and it may not be on your time schedule, but He will listen and move on your behalf.


God something that seems impossible? God will do the impossible for you. For Hezekiah, God moved and removed the death announcement and added 15 years to his life.  For Moses, he parted the Red Sea. For David, He helped him bring down the giant. We could go on and on... but our God specializes in things thought impossible! 


Read it again... Hezekiah's prayer and painful cry resulted in the impossible being done. That is powerful... but my Bible tells me that God is not a respecter of persons... what he does for one, he will do for all who call on His name and believe!
Go on and cry out to God!

Imagine If You Will... revisited

I had someone contact me today and ask me about an old blog I wrote. They said they had searched and could not find it. I looked it up and was going to send a link to them, but after reading it, I decided to repost this one. 

Imagine If You Will

Today I was having lunch with my son at a Mexican restaurant in Champaign, and he was noticing some of the pottery that was used to decorate the place. He asked me if I had ever seen any of the black pottery that came from Mexico, and was telling me about how there was a black clay in a region of Mexico and how unique it was. His conversation got me thinking about making pottery. Long ago, in seemingly another lifetime, I originally started out my college career as an Art major, and I used to do some pottery in my art classes, so have used the potters wheel some.

Daniel got me to thinking about the process of making of a pot on the wheel, and the scripture passage in Jeremiah 18 came to mind where God speaks to Jeremiah through the work of the potter. That work on the wheel represents us and the process that we go through in the making and shaping of our lives.

As we drove home from Champaign tonight, I got to thinking about this more. Allow me to share with you some of the thoughts I had.

Imagine, if you will, that the beautiful pot you see above was able to speak to us. I believe the conversation would go something like this: 

I wasn't always like this. At one time I was just a cold, dirty, wet lump of clay. One day the potter picked me up and said, "I can do something with this." Then he began to knead me and to pound on me to work out all of the air bubbles. He patiently continued to knead me, pausing now and then to pull out all of the pieces of stone and other impurities in me that would cause me to be marred and to break if they were left behind. Then he threw me onto the wheel and started to put pressure on me and change my shape. It hurt, and I asked him to stop because the pressure at times seemed to be too much to bear, but he said, "'Not yet." Then he began to spin the wheel around and around until I shouted, "Stop, I want to get off." Again he replied, "Not yet." He began to put more pressure on me, stretched and pulled on me and shaped me into the shape of a pot. Just as I thought I could take no more, he stopped and I thought it was over and I could rest. Just then he suddenly took a knife and began to cut at me! Again and again he cut pieces away and then he took other tools and began to scrape away at my surface and it hurt so that I screamed and asked him to stop... but once again he said, "Not yet." 

Finally it all stopped and I was left alone to rest, and all seemed well for a few days. But just as I thought it was all over, he picked me up and put me into a hot oven and turned on the heat. I screamed at the top of my lungs, "STOP! Let me out of here! I can't take the heat! I'm suffocating!" But he looked at me with a knowing look and said, "Not yet."

Finally, the heat stopped, but I was left alone in that cold dark oven for what seemed an eternity. One day, the door opened and he took me out of the oven and I thought his work on me was over, but then he started to paint me with some stuff that smelled terrible and made me sting. I could not believe what he did next. He put me back into the oven and cranked up the heat again! I cried and I said, 'I can't stand this, please let me out!' But he said, 'Not yet.'

Finally he took me out of the oven and set me on a shelf where I sat for such a long time that I thought he had forgotten me. Then one day he took me off the shelf and held me up before a mirror. I couldn't believe my eyes. I had become a beautiful vessel, more beautiful than I could ever have imagined. All of a sudden he turned me over and began to scratch at my base and it hurt so bad. I could not imagine what he was doing at the time, but I learned that he put His mark on me so that anyone who saw me would immediately know who my maker was.

You know, there are things that go on in our lives that we don't understand. It hurts at times. We think we cannot take anymore and at times feel all alone. But it is a process that "The Potter" is taking us through. He has purpose, a plan, and when we finally get to the place God wants us to be, you and I will realize that He has been making you into a vessel of honor; one He can use, bless, and use to bless others.

So, allow God to shape you and leave His mark on you!

The Family Business

I've had a pretty interesting week. I know, with Thanksgiving this week, I'm sure most everyone could say the same thing, but I'm not talking about Thanksgiving at all. I've had kind of a different sort of week, one that leaves me hoping that the people of my church can overlook my negligence. I simply have had no time this week to visit with my own people, as I've had several opportunities to spend time with folks outside of the church. In fact, Monday and Tuesday of this week I went from one meeting to another, throughout both days. On Tuesday, I had breakfast with a couple of folks who simply were needing some advice... or maybe it would be better to just say they needed someone to listen, because while they thanked me repeatedly for my advice, the truth is they talked through their issue on their own, and all I did was provide a save place for them to work it out verbally.  After that meeting, I met with another man who was searching for some answers and the Lord opened a door to share with him a Biblical approach to dealing with a major issue that had come up in his life. The way that the conversation turned and opened the opportunity to share a piece of my testimony was just miraculous. It could not have been scripted or planned any better! 
I then had an opportunity to have coffee and lunch with a young lady who is in college, and again, I was just amazed at how our conversation turned to spiritual matters although that was not the purpose of our meeting. We had just not had the chance to talk for many months and we agreed to meet, but somehow the door opened. This young woman is a Christian, but like many of us in life, is at times questioning her faith and searching for real meaning and purpose of that faith. We had a very good and enjoyable talk, but after she left, I found myself thinking, "how did that happen?" and hoping that I had not scared her off or come across as "preachy" to her.  (If you happen to be reading this, and I did, I apologize!)


While I was clearing our table, my phone rang and it was another young lady asking if I could meet with her. She seemed rather stressed, so I cancelled another appointment, and simply stayed right where I was, at Innkeepers, and waited for her to arrive. It was through this meeting and conversation that the twists, turns and events of the week just seemed to come into perspective for me. It was like God just dropped this last appointment into my lap so that it would sum up what had been going on throughout the week. I will not go into the purpose for our meeting, as that is too personal, but as we were talking, she asked me a question that may sound insulting, but it was not intended that way. It was sincere. She asked said to me, "I don't get the whole church thing or being a Christian. What makes you think that God needs you to be telling anyone else how to live? How do you know your way is the right way?" I know it was the Holy Spirit that put these words in my mouth, as I said, "I'm just carrying on the family business."  She looked and me speechless for what seemed like several minutes, and finally said, "can you explain what you mean? I'm not much on religion."  My response was that it was a good thing that she was not wrapped up in religion, because religion just screwed up the whole thing anyway, and that Jesus was not interested in our religion, but rather in our lives. 


It was at this point that my week began to come into perspective, and I began to share with her the events of the last few days of my life. As I shared with her how that I had not been able to do all the things I had planned for the week, and had instead been going from one appointment to another meeting with people with real life issues. I told her that when Jesus was on the earth, the "religious" crowd was always upset with him and accusing him, because he hung with the "sinners"... the everyday people. I said, "many people think God wants his people to be all religious and sit in church all the time, but what he wants from his church is for us to be out among the people... just as he was."


WWJD?  I believe Jesus would leave the 99 to go after the one in need.


As I told this young woman this week, this gospel message that I believe and preach is much more than a bedtime story or a fairy tale. It is real. It happened. Jesus came, lived and died and left each of us that believes in him with a challenge to live our lives differently. He's not looking for us be "religious, but rather to live in a way that makes a difference. Our lives should forever be changed because of Jesus.  Too many people go to church, yet live their life as though what Jesus did does not make a difference. Their life Monday through Saturday does not reflect what they sing about on Sunday. It's because they do not comprehend that when they came to know Jesus, Jesus put them in charge of carrying on the family business. He has entrusted us with a truth so great that it has the power to transform lives. As partners in this family business, life for us is simply about advancing the truth... "for God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son..."


Are you advancing the cause? Are you carrying on the "family business"?

Morality Under Assault (part 2)

As I continue to look at the assault on morality and the decline of decency, I have to admit, I'm sitting here thinking, "I'm becoming that old guy."  You know... the old guy that talks about "when I was a kid..."  That old guy who says, "kids today are so much worse than when I was a kid." Yet, I'm not blaming the kids. I'm blaming my generation, and the one that came before me. We did this. We have taken our kids and their kids down a road, that I fear is one way... no return. I hope and pray that I am wrong. I pray for a revival that turns this world back toward God, back toward a society in which there is moral restraint... where there is a fear of God and where the focus of life is not on our own selves and our selfish desires, and where once again we are focused on the good of others.


One of the things that jumps out at me is the wide acceptance of voyeurism in our daily lives. Voyeurism used to be thought of as a nasty thing, something only "peeping Toms" and perverts did. If someone was caught "peeping" back in the day, they were the outcasts of society, and faced time in jail. In 2010, one has no need to be a creeper and peeper... as common decency and modesty is a thing of the past, and both men and women not only dress in such a way as to be way too revealing, but many will openly expose themselves for others to see. Teenage girls are taking pictures of themselves in next to nothing and posting the pictures on Facebook. Young folks taking nude pictures of themselves and sending them over their phones to others. There really is no need to peep in windows any longer, because our teens think nothing of exposing themselves to others, and we won't even approach their view of sex. If the most recent studies are true, 7 of every 10 teenagers is sexually active by the time they reach 16 years of age. That says enough.


Now many people want to point at the sexual antics of these kids, but lets remember that they are products of my generation, in which we lived through a period in the 70's and early 80's where it was not an uncommon thing to go out dancing and leave with a different partner nearly every night. We were wild and free in our sexual revolution... until we learned of a new disease called AIDS. It's a shame that it took the scare of AIDS to make my generation begin to question how we were living. Many of my friends have since told me that they felt hypocritical to try and tell their kids not to be sexually active after the way we lived. I say, "HOW DUMB!"  I also used a ton of drugs, stuck guns in people's faces and a host of other illegal activities. Would it be hypocritical of me to warn my kids not to get mixed up in drugs and crime the way I did? Of course not. So why would it be wrong to teach our children that while we may have been sexually promiscuous, we learned... the hard way, and try to teach our kids better. I believe it is simply that many of my age group never really learned the lesson, so they just provided a "safe sex" alternative. Take a look around you and see the result. It's sad... and it's scary.


Is it too late to turn it around? I don't know. I hope not.  I do know this... without a spiritual renewal... there is no hope. This world needs Jesus.


There is more... much more to this look at the assault on morality. We will pick it up again later this week due to Thanksgiving.

Morality Under Assault (part 1)

I've known it was happening for quite some time, but today, more than ever, I am convinced that our society has absolutely lost its direction. The  model of awareness of the world  around us and and adapting to it has been replaced by a corrupt notion of caving in to and pandering to the few, or what the minority thinks. I mean, everyone knows we have to be “PC”, right?  I recall back in the early 90’s a special TV program entitled, “The Gay Nineties” that aired, and basically they were telling us that it was time for the religious right to get over their self and accept that this was the way things were going to be in America. Despite the fact that (at that time) less than 2% of the Nation was gay, we were told that society was going to change and adapt to help those that that were gay to take their rightful place in our society. The 98% would have to surrender our rights to the 2%.  I remember thinking at that time, “you’ve got another think coming if you think we are simply going to change our laws and way of life to please the few.”  Well, here we are some 17 years later, and everything they said in that program has happened… and more.
Now, let me just say for those who do not know me, I am not a homophobic gay basher. I have family members who are gay, and friends who are gay, and I love them. Still, I believe it is wrong that the masses must adapt our thinking to pander to the small minority. The fact that less than an hour away from me, in Iowa, If I were to stand in the pulpit in the church and state (what the Bible clearly states) that homosexuality is a sin, I could be arrested and thrown into prison, is just mind boggling to me. In 17 years we’ve adapted our laws to not just “accept” someone’s choice, but now we will actually punish anyone who does not agree with them! This is just one example of how we, as a society have lost our way.


Turn on your radio and listen to some of the “music” that is being pumped through the air waves. The profanity, vulgarity, the racial slurs, the hatred… I am just stunned at times at what I hear. I can recall a time in my youth, somewhere about 1972 when David Cassidy of The Partridge Family had a song out that was banned from the airwaves because it was “too suggestive.” Mind you, it did not even use the words, it only “suggested” sexual intercourse. Man, we have slipped a long way down that slope!  A couple of nights ago my wife and I were sitting in our living room watching a movie on television, when one of the characters said something that caused me to stop and look and see what channel I was watching. Sure enough, on one of the main networks, during prime-time, they were using language (not bleeping it either) that just a few years ago was totally unacceptable in public, certainly on television. Back in the 70’s George Carlin made a lot of money with a comedy routine called “Seven Words You Can Never Say On Television.” The language coming through my TV screen today is FAR worse than some of the words George used in that routine.  Some would say “we’ve come a long way.” I say we’ve lost our way as a society.  Today, we are a people living in a society in which illusion prevails over fact, and lies drown out honesty, because these are more popular with our new "majority".  This “majority” is really a small segment that believes that they “know better” than the masses, and they will therefore make the decisions for us.  This “new majority” sets the value system and little by little erodes any clear moral lines of definition. And those of us who disagree... especially if we happen to be Christians, are labeled "intolerant" and judgmental. Yet, no one seems to understand that they are in fact judging us! We choose to live with moral restraint, and because we don't agree with their new way of life without restraint, WE are the problem, and they have no problem saying that Christianity has to go, and some even openly say that Christians should be put to death. Funny, but the Islamic folk have an often more strict  view of society, condoning the stoning deaths of those who live an immoral life... yet no one is saying a word about them... only the Christians.
Why do you think that is?


I will leave you with this thought to chew on for now... 
Proverbs 29:18 says, "Where there is no vision, the people perish : but he that keepeth the law, happy is he."


In the Bible In Basic English translation, it reads: "Where there is no vision, the people are uncontrolled; but he who keeps the law will be happy."


Part 2 tomorrow.

You Can Run and Tell That... Homeboy!

This morning someone posted this Youtube video on Facebook. In all honesty, I felt bad for laughing at it, because here was this young woman that someone tried to rape... and I'm laughing at the news story. I posted it on a messaging board that I own and one of my friends in Georgia posted the second one. I guess I'm not the only one laughing! Make sure you watch them both. 

Why Is It So Hard To Admit Our Weaknesses... a look back

I had the opportunity to sit and talk with a young woman this week who called and asked if I had time to talk with her. When I walked in to where we were meeting, the first words out of her mouth was to confess a weakness or problem in her life. OK... she told me the problem as she perceived it, but in reality she was telling me about a symptom that was exhibiting itself in her life stemming from a much deeper situation or issue in her life. I thought it was quite amazing that this young woman, who I really do not know all that well could be so open with me. Then again, maybe not, because as I so often tell my church, if you will only listen to this younger generation, they will tell you anything and everything.  I was impressed that she was wiling to blurt this out to me. It says to me that she is ready to deal with some "stuff" in her life. 

Anyway...

This got me to thinking about one of my earliest blog posts, and after hunting it up and re-reading it, I decided to post it here. Hope it helps someone today.

Why Is It So Hard To Admit Our Weakness?

Those that know me well know that I was involved in a very serious car accident back when I was in college that has left me with a lot of back and neck trouble. One of the things most people do not know is that in that same accident the muscles and tendons in my right hand were torn as well. With therapy, I regained most of the use of that hand with only some cracking and popping in my wrist. The doctor and therapist told me back then that the real problem with this hand would come as I aged, with significant problems coming in about 15 years.
Well, that accident took place 17 years ago tomorrow, and their words bring loud and clear in my ears. I don't like to admit it, and I try hard to hide the complications, but the fact is I am losing the strength and my grip in my right hand. I struggle greatly to open a jar and sometimes cannot even get the cap off of a soda bottle without quite a struggle. My handshake is not as firm as it used to be, which is a sign of weakness or lack of concern to many people, so I am often even hesitant to shake hands. I have a hard time admitting it, but I am weak in that hand.
While I struggle with telling people this, I also am beginning to find it liberating to admit it, because hopefully I will not have to try so hard to compensate for this weakness in order to hide it.
Does anyone see a spiritual parallel?

I woke up at 4:05 this morning with my hand and back hurting so bad that I could not sleep. I got up for about an hour and finally lay back down. As I lay there, I kept thinking about how this accident has affected my life... and kind of had a pity party for a bit.
But then the thought hit me how there are so many people struggling with life because they cannot admit their weaknesses and/or short-comings.
They work long hours; put themselves deeper and deeper into debt trying to find that elusive "thing" that will bring fulfillment to their lives. But it somehow just never comes.
What they don't realize is that what is missing is Jesus. They refuse to admit that, because they perceive that need for Jesus to be a weakness, and they will never admit their weakness.

There are people I have met who arrogantly spout off that they don't need the crutch of religion. Yet their lives grow more and more miserable with every car, boat or home they buy. Many of these people scream out at the Christians as being intolerant and they want our "religion" banned. I believe that the real problem is that they resent that we can find happiness, contentment and joy in our lives without all the trappings they have, yet they remain miserable. They simply refuse to admit that they have a weakness.
But we all have the same weakness... and it is called sin. The Bible tells us that "all have sinned and come short of the glory of God." It also tells us that we were created to have fellowship with God. Therein lays the problem with so many. They are miserable because they are failing in their created purpose. What is missing is not another new toy or more stuff; but a relationship with the God of creation through his son, Jesus.

Weakness? We all are born with the same weakness, regardless of the color of our skin, the country we are born in or our economic status. It is called sin, which separates us from God.
Trying to build your life without God is the real weakness. It is like trying to erect a building without first laying the cornerstone. You may erect a great looking building, and may look marvelous, but it is weak, and will never be right until that stone is put in its place. 
The Bible tells us that Jesus is that cornerstone.
Your life without Jesus is just incomplete. 

Time for the Po-Po to get their act together!

Galesburg, the town I live in, is growing more and more dangerous.... way too dangerous for a town the size of ours. Last night was yet another armed robbery. Four men entered a liquor store just after midnight, one carrying a rifle and at least one other a pistol, and robbed the store. A man working in the store was hit on the head  with the butt of the pistol. Another man was seen in the parking lot who ran off with these four after the robbery. OK... 5 men run down one of he busiest streets in our town, all in black, one carrying a rifle.. and no one saw a thing. Right.
Earlier this week, an employee at McDonald's was robbed as she left the building with the deposit for the store. She too was hit on the head with the butt of the pistol. Same general description of the robber.  In recent weeks and months, several stores, a laundry and individuals have been robbed at gun point, one of them in daylight in the parking lot of the mall.  To this point, only one of these robberies has been solved. I predict that as the holiday shopping ramps up, the robberies will as well.  
Yesterday there was a story in the paper of the rash of soda machine break-ins as well. Ironically, they are all in the same part of town. I wonder if the men in uniform have given any consideration to patrolling that area of town a little more heavily at night? If they had been, then they might have had a patrol car in the area of Henderson and Main where the liquor store was held up last night. My question is... where are the police? Why is it so hard to find one in this town when they are needed? I've often been out late at night, and usually you will NOT find a squad care on the south-west side of town unless they have been called there.  Being that the vast majority of these crimes have taken place on the south or south west side of town, it just MIGHT be a good idea to make their presence know at that end of town after dark.  Just a thought.

Stick-to-it-ness (part 2)

When I wrote my last blog, I said that there were several things running through my mind and that I might write more. It's been an extremely hectic week and this is the first chance I've had to write more. If you did not read my last entry, it began after I read a quote by Josh Billings that said, "Consider the postage stamp: its usefulness consists in the ability to stick to one thing till it gets there."  The idea of being consistent, or sticking to one thing until it is done, is pretty much foreign to the world we live in.  That's because it involves a commitment... that dreaded "C" word. In 2010, commitment is a thing of the past to most of the world... even in the church.


This week I had a discussion with someone from my church in which they asked me how I felt about the number of people that our church had seen come in and go out of our church. The numbers are mind boggling... but as I told them, it is not an isolated problem to our church. It is a sign of the times we live in.  This mind set was summed up very well in the words of someone I spoke to just recently. I asked them what church they attended. They said that they had never set down roots anywhere, but they were now waiting for a new church that will open here in town after the first of the year. This church will be a satellite church of one in Peoria and the preaching will be done in Peoria and beamed live to the building here in Galesburg.   I asked them what made them feel like this would be the church for them, and they said, "If I want to stay home, no one's going to bother me."  The sad thing is, he was serious. 


Later in the day, after my conversation with the person from my church, I was going through some old pictures from my church and I was looking at the various faces who have moved on to greener pastures. I ran across a picture of the congregation from Easter Sunday, 2006. Of what I could count in that picture, of 79 people I could see in it, there are only 11 people still attending our church. Of those that have left, there were some in that picture who have been in as many as 4 other churches since that time. Most have been in at least 2, while some have dropped out of church altogether.  This is my point. The discipline of "sticking to it"  is gone.  It used to be that you had a church that you belonged to, and you stayed and worked things out, sought growth together... kind of like a family. But then again, families don't stay together any more either... do they?


One of the things that really gets to me is that many people leave smaller churches and run to the larger ones because they have more people, thus more money, thus better facilities and programs. I cannot tell you how many people have told me how much they love me, love our church and they hate to go... but they want to be involved in something bigger. What they really mean is... easier! Why do I say easier? Because it is easier to change churches, go to one with everything already built, than it is to stay and help build a program from scratch.  It's a sad fact.  As I thought through them all, I came up with a list of people who had been in our church and moved on to greener pastures, and the fact is that if all these people were still with us, added to what we have now, we would have roughly 200 now attending our church. I cannot help but grow a little frustrated when I think of what we could be doing if we had these numbers today. But I cannot change it... it is the way life is today... people want the newer buildings, the fancier programs... the instant and easy. No one wants to build where they are, they'd rather go to where it is already done for them.  Why do you think this new church coming to town will be a huge success? By the time the doors open, they will already have a top notch building, with the latest trends in decor, lighting, sound systems, kids programs ready built, great youth facilities...  in short, no one who will go there will have to lift a finger go build the church or the programs, the work will have already been done. Terrible indictment of the heart of people. But I fear that this will backfire in the end. If people have nothing invested, there is no reason to stay. 

Stick-to-it-ness

I ran across a quote today by Josh Billings that I shared on my Facebook status. After posting it there, I just could not get this one out of my mind. The quote says, "Consider the postage stamp: its usefulness consists in the ability to stick to one thing till it gets there."  That is a powerful statement... and one that is so desperately needed in the times we live in.  This is needed in so many aspects of life, but as a Pastor, I am focused on this statement in the realm of the church and our faith. There are so many different aspects of this that I could go into, and it may very well be that I look at this several times over the next few days because there is just too much to put into one blog. I'll do my best to limit the scope of today's entry. 


The first thing that jumps out at me is simply how so many people are up and down, in and out with their faith. From one day to the next, they could go from a person with a raging fire of passion and excitement in their faith to a weak, blubbering, whining, down and out person who is questioning everything about God. Truthfully, I'm not impressed with the person who comes boasting of their "new found" fiery faith. I've learned that more times than not, it will only be a few days or weeks and they'll be laying out of church again until the next wave comes along. I can't remember where I read it, but someone wrote that the problem with "catching the next wave" is that every wave ends up crashing into the shore.
No, I'm not impressed with the "wave riders," and I don't believe God is either. God's looking for a person of solid faith... one who models consistency day after day, week after week, month after month. Christian television has promoted this "wave rider" mentality as they are constantly parading the newest, hottest preacher or fade in front of us. The one with the latest vision or visitation. The one with the hottest new gimmick message. Strange how many of these people end up in a scandal of divorce, homosexuality, fraudulent handling of money...  kind of like a wave crashing into a shore.


Newsflash: The message is Jesus Christ... the cross, the blood and the resurrection. 
We don't need another revelation of heaven or hell to tell us something we don't know.
What we need to know is in "The Book."


OK...  part 2


The other thing that immediately came to mind when I read the quote: "Consider the postage stamp: its usefulness consists in the ability to stick to one thing till it gets there" is how many people in the church have a new mandate to do something for God every time you turn around. One week they are called to be the pastor's armor bearer. The next week they are called to work with the teenagers. Then they feel led to start this group... a month later it's something else.  Hello? These people portray our God as if He is schizophrenic or something.  God is not going to ask you to do something new when you have not fulfilled what He has already told you to do! Find that one thing that God (not you... not someone else... not the need) is calling you to do, and stick to it! Do it. Stay the course! Finish what you have started!  Personally, I have a theory that I have shared in my church before. Simply: If you are doing something that you are not truly called to do, then 2 errors are taking place: 1) You are not doing what YOU are called to do, and 2) You prevent someone else from being able to step up and do what they are called to do, because you are in the way.


I love that quote. We need to develop some "stick-to-it-ness" and finish what we've begun... and not begin anything until we know that it is God who has placed us there!

You Get What You Pay For... Revisited

I wrote the blog below back in July, but felt the need to repost it and update it tonight after someone sent me a link to a new photographer opening in our area with prices that are just ridiculously low. If I had to do what this person is doing for the price they are charging, I'd sooner not do it, because my time alone is worth far more than what his person is charging. This person does not offer prints, only a CD. It takes some know how to know how to crop the same photo to be printed at various sizes, such as an 8x10, a 5x7, an 11x 14 and so on. You cannot just print any size from a shot without ruining the picture. Then, I looked at the quality of work... and while I may sound arrogant... I'm just going to say it, I would be embarrassed to put my name on what I saw. Again... you get what you pay for. Want to go to someone who will give you a CD of 20 pictures for under $100... go ahead. But remember... you get what you pay for!

17 July, 2010

You Get What You Pay For

Most of you are aware of this, but for those who are not, I also operate a photography business. To be honest, the poor economy has hurt my business pretty bad. Another thing is that everyone with a digital camera now fancies themselves a photographer. As a colleague of mine often points out, "anyone can snap 100 photos with a digital camera and get a couple of good shots, but it takes an artists eye and talent to get an entire package of good portraits." In the town where I live, there have been about a dozen new Photography companies spring up in the last couple of years. Tonight on Facebook one of the parents of an upcoming client of mine sent me a link to one guys website and asked me why he could sell an 8x10 photograph for $8 while I sell them for $24.  My response was, "you get what you pay for." I asked her to go to his website and mine and do some comparison, looking for out of focus shots, sun glaring off the skin, sun glaring off the lens... and then I asked her to call him and ask him specifically where he had his prints made. I told her that I promise you that if he is selling them for $8 then he is getting them done at Walmart or another store in town which uses cheaper paper and ink, crops the photos to fit their standards, not the photographers, and that she should know that those pictures will be faded out in 2 years.  I then told her that my pictures are produced in a professional photo lab and coated with luster gloss which seals them, protecting them for years.  Then I asked, if you need copies in 5 years, is this kid shooting them going to be around? Does he archive his photos? Again, you get what you paid for. After she spoke to him, she called me back and booked with me.  

It's that way with so many things in life. You can almost always find something cheaper... but that's what you get! 

My website:  http://danashphotos.com

Do You You Hear Their Silent Screams?

I'm walking through a very different place with God right now. It's pretty difficult to explain this exactly... I mean, I'm excited because I know this is God taking me down a new path or leg of this journey, yet at the same time, it is almost more weight than I can bear. It began last Sunday morning, very early. I felt something stirring within me... and it was strange. I knew it was the Holy Spirit prompting me... preparing me... yet I was a bit unclear as to what it was that I was being prepared for. I walked into the bathroom while my wife was brushing her teeth and I tried to explain to her what I was feeling, but I could not find the words. I threw up my fists in a fighting position, such a a boxer, and I told her, "this is what I'm feeling in my spirit."  Later that morning as our praise team was preparing to practice, I tried to share what I was feeling, but still the words were not there. I again threw up my hands into the fighting position and told them, "a battle's coming, and I need prayer."  That morning, I just kept feeling this "fight" coming on. I did not preach Sunday morning, and while John Baker was preaching, it suddenly became clear that the fight was on, and it was with a spirit of depression that was attacking. At the end of the service, I got up and said that in the past week there were several in the church that had been attacked by depression and that it was time to do battle. I did not count, but at least 5 or 6 came to the altar and we prayed and took authority over that spirit of depression. I felt a tremendous shifting, but I knew the battle was just beginning. I just did not know how it was going to take place... and this is where my strange new journey began.


Before I even walked out of that service Sunday morning, someone came to me and told me that a loved one was battling depression, and asked if I would pray for them. Later that day, my phone rang and it was someone very depressed. The next morning, by 8:00 AM my phone was ringing with someone who was suicidal.  It has been this way all week. I do not know how to explain this... but I can see depression. I don't mean seeing the obvious, when someone's head is down, and moping. I can "see" depression in the spirit.  I've even dreamed twice this week of people, neither of them all that close to me, and I saw the spirit of depression on them, and when I have contacted those individuals, they were in fact fighting depression. I was walking through the coffee shop earlier this week, and as I went by someone, I could feel it. I passed by at first, but then returned back to them and simply said, "God see's your hidden tears and silent cry and he said to tell you that you are not alone and he loves you."  The woman's face just lit up and she thanked me for obeying God. It has been this way all week. And the thing is, I cannot keep from crying. Not a "boo hoo, woe is me" type cry, but gently, tears just keep flowing. We were at Olivet Nazarene University yesterday, and briefly got to see one of Ashley's friends. I could feel and see the depression on her. I did not say anything to her, and I have kicked myself ever since. She is in the middle of a college campus, surrounded by people, but obviously alone in her suffering right now. It happened again today. My son and I went downtown for lunch and as we came out of Q's, I saw 2 women walking down the street, and although this woman was smiling as she chatted with her friend, in my spirit, I saw the "shadow" of depression all over her. 


I'll be honest... I don't know exactly what it is God is doing. I don't know if he is going to use me to set some people free... if he is simply wanting me to talk to people... I just don't know. But my "fists are up" in the spirit. I don't think this is a defensive posture thing... I think the Holy Spirit is getting ready to release a flow that is going to set people free all over this county.  


All I can say is, "GET READY!"

I Really Don't Get It

Yesterday my wife and I took our daughter Ashley to Olivet Nazerene University in Bourbonnais to check it out as a possible school for her to go to next year. Overall, we were pretty impressed with the school, although the cost is literally double what our Church of God flagship school, Lee University would cost. But the idea for this blog today is not about Olivet, per se, but rather something that we were told and witnessed while there. It really hit me wrong... not about the school, but about the way our government operates.


We were walking across the campus with a tour guide and it was obvious that there is an extensive beautification project going on. The tour guide commented to us that this was made possible by a $4.5 million grant given to the University by the State of Illinois. I'm telling you... I was instantly livid!  I did not say anything about it then, but after our tour was over, my wife and I talked about it and she was a mad as I am.   If you are not from Illinois, you may not understand. Our state is BROKE. In Galesburg alone (the town where I live) the State of Illinois is more than $3 million BEHIND in what they were supposed to pay our schools. This story is repeated across the State.  They cannot pay our schools, are almost certainly going to increase our State Income Tax in the next few months, and yet, they give $4.5 million to a University to "make it pretty"?  One has to wonder how many other pet projects are being done like this across the State. I'd just about bet you that if the truth were known, the "pork" inserted in bills, the grants given because politicians yanked a few strings, and so on, ... if all of this spending was reined in and funneled to where it needed to go, we would not be in the mess we are in. 


Get this... In Galesburg, our town just voted to increase our sales tax by 1% with the money to go to our education system, BECAUSE the State is not paying us what we are owed.  And yesterday I witnessed first hand the waste. Hey, if the money is available... give the grants away. But we don't have it!  This school is one donors laying out huge buck. They are just completing a beautiful new chapel that cost millions of dollars to build. It is the building with the largest seating capacity in the entire county and has a pipe organ in it that is worth a fortune, with it being one of four like it in the world. My point is, the University is NOT hurting for money at all, yet, political strings were pulled to give this school $4.5 million to give a portion of the campus a facelift... while teachers are being laid off, sports programs are being cancelled, and our taxes are going up.


Something is BAD wrong with this picture.

Pay Attention to the G-20 Summit

On November 4th I wrote about the US Government monetizing $600 Billion by simply printing more money. As the G-20 begins, several other key countries are very upset that the United States has done this, as it upsets that balance of trade around the world. One of the goals of the G-20 is to establish a new "global economic order"  with the intent to stabilize the economy around the globe.  Are you getting the picture? They have stopped short of discussing a one world currency at this point, but the result is the same... the development of a one world economy, which only leaves one step to the one world currency. 
We are that close. 

How Do You Catch A Wild Pig?

* I rarely even open forwarded email sent to me, and even less frequently pass them on. But this one, I had to share.

There was a chemistry professor in a large college
that had some exchange students in the class. One day
while the class was in the lab, the Prof noticed one
young man, an exchange student, who kept rubbing his
back and stretching as if his back hurt.


The professor asked the young man what was the matter.
The student told him he had a bullet lodged in his
back. He had been shot while fighting communists in
his native country who were trying to overthrow his
country's government and install a new communist
regime.


In the midst of his story, he looked at the professor and asked a strange question. He asked: "Do you know how to catch wild pigs?"


The professor thought it was a joke and asked for the punch line. The young man said that it was no joke.


"You catch wild pigs by finding a suitable place in the woods and putting corn on the ground. The pigs find it and begin to come everyday to eat the free corn. When they are used to coming every day, you put a fence down one side of the place where they are used to coming.


When they get used to the fence, they begin to eat the corn again and you put up another side of the fence. They get used to that and start to eat again. You continue until you have all four sides of the fence up with a gate in the last side. The pigs, which are used to the free corn, start to come through the gate to eat that free corn again.


You then slam the gate on them and catch the whole herd. Suddenly the wild pigs have lost their freedom. They run around and around inside the fence, but they are caught.


Soon they go back to eating the free corn . They are so used to it that they have forgotten how to forage in the woods for themselves, so they accept their captivity."


The young man then told the professor that is exactly what he sees happening in America . The government keeps pushing us toward Communism/Socialism and keeps spreading the free corn out in the form of programs such as supplemental income, tax credit for unearned
income, tax cuts, tax exemptions, tobacco subsidies, dairy subsidies, payments not to plant crops (CRP), welfare, medicine, drugs, etc. while we continually lose our freedoms, just a little at a time.

I Respect Him Now More Than Ever

While I can honestly say that I did not agree with everything George W. Bush did as President, and in fact I was adamantly opposed to some things he did or supported, I have to say that now, long after his tenure as President came to and end, news that recently came out caused my respect for him to go way up. It really bothers me that this new information has barely been reported my the media at all. In fact, I only heard it mentioned twice on Fox and no place else. After 2 weeks of hearing nothing else, I was beginning to think I had not actually heard this, but had dreamed it or imagined it.  Now, be patient, I'll get to the information in a minute, but first, let me tell you how I have come about writing this tonight. 


A little while ago, a 14 year old girl that I know posted a slam about George Bush on her Facebook page. It really ticked me off, because I realize that she was only parroting what her parents, or teachers, or others had said to her, because she would have only been 12 when Bush left office. The comments she made about his sending us into war against Iraq and Afghanistan for absolutely no reason... she would have been what, 5 years old when we entered these wars? I admit, I lashed out at her more harshly than I should have, but I am so tired of hearing the kids coming up ripping on Bush when all they know is the liberal crap that they have been force fed. I think this nation forgets how nearly everyone in this nation cheered and waved flags and held out our chests with pride when we first entered into Iraq. They have forgotten the joy we all had when those statues of Saddam came crashing down.  With time, people's minds began to change, and one of the biggest criticism's was... "there were no WMD's (weapons of mass destruction) found."  Right?


Well, now let me get to the news and tell you how to find it for yourself. If you've been paying attention over the last few months, there has been much controversy over a site called "WikiLeaks" that has released top secret information that they had gotten their hands on about the US Government, and the Iraq war in particular.  While I do not support what they have done at all, I was grateful to hear one piece of information... and here it is.  Weapons of Mass Destruction were found. Lots of them. I mean LOTS of them... from 2003 to 2008 and beyond, our military repeatedly found caches of chemical weapons, biological weapons, and all kinds of stuff that the public was never told about. Check it out for yourself.  Type these words into Google or another search engine and then check out what you find. "wikileaks shows iraq wmd"   You will be surprised. And if you are like me, your love and respect for George W. Bush will grow immensely.  
Why?
Because while the media, the critics, his political enemies, and the nation ripped and criticized President Bush, criticized our National Intelligence for having bad information, laughed at him and mocked him... this man of gigantic courage held his silence.  He could have silenced the laughter, the scorn and all the critics by ordering this information released. But he did not. He took the weight upon his broad shoulders. 
Why? 
Because to release this information would have put soldiers lives at risk. To do so would have jeopardized the over all mission and risked the lives of citizen's of Iraq who help the military to find them, as well as our troops as well as troops from other nations.


Thats a man of integrity and a man who deserves honor.
That's George W. Bush... the one you will not see on MSNBC.

Fall Back!

Set those clocks back one hour... get some rest...

and then come to church!!!

Sorry, But You're Too Good, So You Are Out

Crazy title, but that is exactly what happened to a 5th grade football team in Sedalia, Missouri. The Sedalia Junior Outlaws ran a perfect 6-0 season, outscoring their opponents 178-0 for the season. Their reward for their hard work and dedication? They were told that they would not be allowed in the playoffs because they were just too good and the other teams in the league complained that they would not be able to compete against them. Yep, you read that right. The best team in the league was told they could not compete for the championship because everyone feared they could not beat them. 


Hello? Isn't the champion supposed to be the best? 
This political correctness stuff is getting so out of hand. What ever happened to teaching kids that when someone wins, someone else loses. That's life! These kids have earned this. They worked really hard and were rewarded with a bitter lesson. What message was sent to the players of the Junior Outlaws? They were shown that if you work really hard and excel, you will be penalized and it will be taken away from you. The lesson learned? "No use is working hard. No use in trying?"  It has not been stated yet, but I will bet you that next season they will break this team apart spreading it's players out across the league.


Does this sound familiar at all to anyone?  This is exactly how socialism plays out. "Share the wealth!"  These kids worked so hard that they excelled and they were stripped of the right to run a perfect season through the playoffs. Could you imagine telling 2007 New England Patriots (who ran a perfect season) "Sorry, we a not going to let you play in the playoffs or Super Bowl... no one else can compete."  Sounds stupid, doesn't it? But that is the message we are sending to kids like this, and all across America today. Kids who cannot spell are treated with the same reward as those who excel at spelling. "We can't make them feel bad" we are told.  Our kids are being raised to believe there are no losers... which also means, there are no winners. They counter with, "but we are all winners!"  Sorry, life does not work that way. These 5th graders in Sedalia were just shown this in living color. "If you are too good, we will remove you from the equation."  


And what about those kids on the other teams in that league? They just received a great lesson of how socialism works. They did not work as hard as the kids on the other team, were not as good as the Outlaws... so their reward? "We will take from those who have and give to those who have not." That's socialism at it's finest. This is what the leftist agenda is in America. If you succeed in life, we will take what you have and spread it out to those who have not succeeded. Why do you think that 47% of American's do not pay taxes? (Yes, that is an accurate number) The get it all back every year... only they don't just get back what they paid... they get a bonus! They get earned income credit, and so on, so that they get a check, usually several thousand dollars as a bonus every spring. What's that all about? It's taking the "trophy" away from those who have worked hard and giving it to those who were less successful.  


Folks... this is socialism.
Who do you think pays for that "tax return" that people get as a bonus? It's not the Government... it's those people who have worked hard and have a huge portion of their reward taken from them as a penalty for succeeding!
*Important note: Something that you did not have cannot be returned to you!  It is "sharing the wealth. Taking from those who have, to give to those who have not.  


I know, there are those reading this that are saying, "sounds good to me."  And that is the problem. It does not take long for the people in the middle to think, "hey, I'm being left out of this."  So they can do one of two things. They can work extra hard so that they can achieve and become one of the "haves" OR they can stop trying, so that they can fall into the category that gets the bonus handed to them every year for not achieving. The vast majority decide that it is far easier to not try than it is to apply themselves to succeed. Besides... it they do reach the "haves" status, it means they have to now give up part of their pie to reward those that have not... so they choose not to try.
This is the great flaw of socialism. This is why every nation that has ever tried socialism has failed. Eventually there are just not enough people in the "haves" category to fund the "have nots" reward system.  But we, here in America are being force fed this steady, overwhelming diet of "this is the great euphoric society!" The expect us to believe that everyone will be happy and we will sit around singing "Kumbya" and everything will be wonderful.  Ask the Junior Outlaws of Sedalia how wonderful they feel right now. They were ripped off.
And this, boys and girls is how socialism works.